1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cleaning devices for removing developer material particles from a surface to be cleaned in an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a self-loading cleaning blade, and a holding member therefor, that are used to remove spent developer material from the surface of the development roller of an electrostatographic development apparatus.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Electrostatographic reproduction apparatus which produce or reproduce copies of an original image on a suitable substrate are well known. Such apparatus typically operate through a sequence of currently well known steps. These steps include (1) charging of the insulated photoconductive surface with electrostatic charges, (2) forming a latent image electrostatically on such surface by selectively discharging areas on such surface, (3) developing the electrostatic image so formed with particles of toner, (4) transferring the toned image to a suitable substrate for fusing thereon to form a permanent record, and (5) cleaning or removing residual toner and/or other particles from the photoconductive and other image-carrying surfaces in preparation for similarly producing another image.
The quality of the images produced by such apparatus depends significantly on the ability to clean the photoconductive and other such surfaces before they are again used to form subsequent images. Several types of cleaning apparatus, including blade-type apparatus, have therefore been developed for that purpose. The long-term effectiveness of any such cleaning apparatus, however, depends significantly on its ability to make desired uniform contact with the surface to be cleaned, and to wear uniformly. This is particularly true of blade cleaning apparatus. In order to achieve and maintain such desired uniform contact and desired uniform wear, the cleaning edge of the blade must be loaded with a substantially precise force against the surface to be cleaned. Such an edge must then maintain such loading within a predetermined range even while it is being worn out. Such precise loading is necessary for preventing damage to the surface being cleaned, as well as for ensuring the effective removal of particles such as very small toner and magnetic carrier particles which adhere to the surface being cleaned. Such removal is particularly a problem when the surface being cleaned is magnetic such as that of the magnetic development roller of a development unit.
Blade cleaning apparatus or mechanical skives used for removing developer material particles from the surface of such a magnetic development roller are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,982,498 issued to Wilcox on Sept. 28, 1976; 4,044,719 issued to Ohmori on Aug. 30, 1977; 4,337,724 issued to Hosono et al. on July 6, 1982; 4,660,504 issued to Weitzel on Apr. 28, 1987; and 4,671,207 issued to Hilbert on June 9, 1987. To improve the effectiveness of the cleaning blade in the '719 patent, a vibrator is provided for connection to the cleaning blade. In the '504 patent the blade is made adjustably tensionable. Typically, however, such blades or skives as disclosed require multiple components and expensive mounting devices, as well as tools for such mounting. Ordinarily too, precise loading of the cleaning edge of each such blade against the surface being cleaned is difficult to achieve and to maintain without frequent adjustments. As a consequence, uniform loading is also difficult to achieve and to maintain especially given a wearing out of the cleaning edge.